Telangana Shivers: Record Cold Wave Grips State, Disrupts Sankranti Travel

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Adilabad recorded the lowest temperature of 7.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Kohir in Sangareddy district saw the minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius.

The mercury dropped to 9.2 degrees Celsius in Patancheru near Hyderabad, while Rajandra Nagar and Hayath Nagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad recorded minimum temperatures of 10.5 and 12.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The minimum temperature was appreciably below normal in Adilabad, Medak and Patancheru. These places recorded a minimum temperature of 3.1 to 5 degrees Celsius below normal.

Hanamkonda, Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Ramagundam and Rajendra Nagar recorded minimum temperature 1.6 to 3 degrees below normal.

A total of 12 districts reported temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, with eight districts recording temperatures between 10.1 and 11 degrees Celsius, and the remaining districts logging temperatures between 11.1 and 14 degrees Celsius.

Cold winds were causing significant distress to residents across the state, with the chilly weather persisting from night to till 11 in the morning.

The biting winds are particularly pronounced between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

People heading to their hometowns to celebrate Sankranti are facing hardships. Thousands of families travelling from Hyderabad to various places in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh were suffering due to chilly weather.

According to the IMD, the cold conditions are expected to persist for the next three days due to lower-level winds originating from the east and southeast.

Residents can expect temperatures to range between 11 and 15 degrees Celsius during this period.

Meanwhile, the weather data shows that winter 2025 has emerged as one of the coldest and most prolonged spells Telangana has seen in the past decade. December recorded an unusually high number of cold-wave days.

The State witnessed 18 cold-wave days in December 2025, a steep jump from just two such days in December 2024 and the highest count recorded in the last 10 years. The month alone saw two severe cold waves.

In addition to northern districts such as Adilabad, which traditionally record the lowest temperature, this time, Central Telangana districts, including Sangareddy and Medak, along with parts of the western outskirts of Hyderabad, experienced sustained low temperatures.

- IANS